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Conference Briefing 12 June

Local Government Service Group Conference

Best Value, Public Housing and Pay Claim will dominate

Conference this year will be dominated by three major debates, Best Value, Future of Public Housing and next year's pay claim.

Best value

Best Value is the first debate and the one which will determine the strength of UNISON feeling on how it is being implemented.

Clearly there is a Scottish interest in Motion 12 and amendments. It is important that this is passed to ensure we can continue to promote the need for a legislative framework for Best Value and ensure local authorities are open to public scrutiny.

Comp A opposes the legislative base that applies in England and Wales but offers direction on how UNISON branches should deal with Best Value locally.

Housing money best spent on UNISON campaign

The future of local authority housing will be debated under Comp B. Scotland is part of the composite however our reservation in the composite is in point 11 which requests branches to support the Defend Council Housing Campaign.

The difficulty with Defend Council Housing campaign is that they are promoting a purist position, ie what we have now we must also have in the future.

As you know our position is to examine all options including the Quasi Housing Associations (that Defend Council Housing vehemently opposes) to ensure local authority housing stays under democratic control.

All the amendments to this composite either promote affiliation to this body or sizeable donations which in the view of the SGE Scottish members could be better directed to fund UNISON's campaign in opposing stock transfer. Oppose these amendements.

Pay: Same old arguments

The Pay debate mainly centres around Motion 31 and amendments and Motion 32 and amendments.

It's the same old arguments that we have every year about asking Conference to determine next year's pay claim.

Conference has already agreed a consultation process that involves branches and region in determining the shape and content of any pay claim. That is a right and proper way of doing this.

Support 31 only if it is amended by 31.2.

Oppose 32 and all amendments.

Region reps

Any problems or difficulties, contact the Scottish Regional reps Mary Crichton and Bob Revie who are situated at the back of the hall.

Reports

• Conference backs branch campaigns against housing transfers
• PAY: Flat rate backed and support promised for action in Scotland
• Best Value fundamentally flawed

Conference backs branch campaigns against housing transfers

The key issues of Housing Transfers facing Scottish branches were almost lost in a debate that saw push after push for donations to one campaign group.

But Conference decisively threw out donations and concentrated on the campaign being led by UNISON branches around the country against Housing Transfers.

Jane Carolan (Glasgow and Service Group Executive) "bloody angry” at "insulting” suggestions that UNISON branches were not campaigning.
"In Manchester, who is leading the campaign - UNISON! In Dumfries, who is leading the campaign - UNISON! In Glasgow who is it that is out on the streets handing out leaflets - UNISON stewards.

"For the £10,000 they want to give to this group, we could put out a leaflet to every household in Glasgow to tell the tenants the real story about Housing Transfers”, said Jane.

Angela Lynes (Glasgow), outlined Glasgow's con-ordinated campaign and the need to provide the resources to back the branch's work, backed by Isobel McVicar (Manchester via Glasgow) who outlined the Manchester campaign.

Scrooge

Jim Cochrane (Dundee) responded to accusations that opposition to a £5,000 donation could only be a Scrooge by announcing himself as ‘Scrooge'. Jim called on Conference to concentrate on UNISON's main duty to its members and to support and build on local campaigns and local links with a range of tenant's groups.

Affiliation

After a lengthy and impassioned debate, Conference backed the main motion (Composite B) and voted to affiliate to the Defend Council Housing Campaign but rejected both amendments calling for donations to the Campaign believing that UNISON funds should be used by UNISON members campaigning on the front line against stock transfer.

The reservations about donations came from the campaign's apparent lack of a constitution and its opposition to Scotland policy of considering Quasi Housing Associations to keep housing under democratic control.

PAY: Flat rate backed and support promised for action in Scotland

As expected, debate on pay centered around the old arguments of whether Conference or the members themselves should determine the pay claim.

Clearly it was the issue of low pay that led to the card vote result to back an amendment to include a flat rate element. The issue was bravely contested by those who felt it should be the members themselves who should determine their claim through a consultation procedure which worked.

"I actually consult my members on an annual basis," said Denise McLafferty, a member of the Scottish Trade Union side, "and we all do, or should know what our members want. It is not for us now to decide, not this Conference, not the national committee, but for our members to decide".

Another difficulty that many delegates had with the amendment was that it tied negotiators hands to "overcome the opposition of the other trade unions when the contents of the claim are determined".

Douglas Black, Service Group Executive, reminded Conference of the need for unity within the whole national staff side. "All constituent unions must be behind the claim or the staff side would open itself up to exploitation", he said.

Scottish Pay Ballot

Earlier Conference congratulated Scottish local government members on their decision to seek a ballot for industrial action in support of an improved pay offer.

Conference offered full support, both moral and financial, in the forthcoming struggle. It is clearly an historic decision and members should be congratulated for refusing to accept the employers' derisory offer. A lot of hard work lies ahead to deliver the ballot but with your support and commitment this can be achieved.

Best Value fundamentally flawed

The Local Government Conference unanimously agreed to reject the Government's overall approach to Best Value.

More than 1000 delegates agreed with speakers that the Best Value framework was "fundamentally flawed" and reflected the "ideological commitment to a fragmented, mixed provider environment which encourages market testing and the privatisation of council services".

The Conference agreed to mount a comprehensive campaign to "openly challenge the Government's privatisation policies in Local Government" and to support branches which "resist externalisation of in-house services and oppose Best Value plans"

A Scotland motion calling for a legislative framework for Best Value in Scotland also met with Conference approval. UNISON will now urge the Scottish Executive to ensure that the Best Value process is subject to transparent scrutiny and openness in order that UNISON members and service users are properly represented.

Conference Index . Home . Rules

 Instead of the usual Scots Night,
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Cymru/Wales Regions are joining this year for a

Celtic Night
Durley Hall Hotel
Durley Chine Road, Bournemouth
Tuesday June 13 8pm - 1am

Live Band and Disco
PS. It's a Celtic night with a hard ‘C', so let's not have all the Rangers supporters taking a huff.